New immersive food tour allows you to follow in Nelson's footsteps in Old Portsmouth
The tour will take guests on a journey through Portsmouth's history
An immersive food tour is coming to Old Portsmouth that allows guests to experience what it would’ve been like for Admiral Lord Nelson on his last night at port before setting sail on HMS Victory for the final time in 1805.
Nelson’s Immersive Food Tour will take place on November 1 and will feature a tasting experience from the acclaimed restaurant Smoke and Mirrors by Jordan Thompson, as well as actors to guide the guests around Nelson’s favourite haunts and a sea shanty choir to end the evening.
The event is a collaboration of different local businesses, including GBR Productions, Portsmouth Food Guide, Smoke and Mirrors and Sally Port Tours.
James Donougher, who runs Portsmouth Food Guide and helped to organise the event, said: “It's my passion and love for Portsmouth and it's history, that is what we're trying to combine here. It's a collaboration of different businesses coming together and bringing them all to life in the most historic part of Portsmouth, which I think is underplayed.
“We don't see enough going on in Old Portsmouth to bring it to life. This is the most historic part of Portsmouth. We've got Sally Port Tours, of course, and we’ve got Jordan doing this fantastic food, but bring that all together in one immersive experience, I think it's going to be really, really good.”
The tour will begin at The Dolphin Inn, which was opened in 1716 and claims to be the longest standing pub in the city. It is also thought to be one of Nelson’s favourite drinking spots. The pub displays a window pane that was thought to be signed by the naval hero on his last night, using a diamond ring to scratch the surface of the glass.
Guess will then eat a meal of braised beef cheek in red wine jus and clotted cream mashed potato at Smoke and Mirrors. Chef Jordan Thompson said: “Nelson would’ve eaten a roast with possibly a cheaper cut of meat back then. So I decided to go with the braised cheek, with a clotting cream mashed potato, to keep it UK-based.
“Nelson ate his last dinner at the George Hotel, and he would’ve walked past us.”
Dave Clark of Sally Port Tours said: “He’d have come out of the pub, came out into Penny Street and walked down there, but the crowds were getting big, outside what the Smoke and Mirrors used to be called.
“But you've got to remember that the crowds are here, and he's quite a quiet man. He's only five foot seven, and had one eye and one arm. His sister's down what used to be called Green Road, now Pembroke Road. She's there, so she probably waved at him as he went across the green.”
The tour will also visit the Sally Port Inn, and conclude with sea shanties sung on the streets, enjoyed with a glass of port.
All the while, guests will be given historical facts from Mr Clark, as well as actors dressed in 19th century naval attire, to create “engaging and immersive” ways of telling the history of the area.
Mr Donougher said the tour will help highlight what is on offer in Old Portsmouth. He said: “It's real grassroots. If they want to find out more, they can touch on it on the tour. If they love the food, they can reach out to Jordan, and that's what it's all about, that fusion of local businesses.”
Tickets are limited, with only 20 spaces available. You can find out more and buy tickets here.